Ink Stains

Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic

2016-03-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Title: A Darker Shade of Magic

Author: V.E. Shwab

Series: Shades of Magic #1

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: February 24, 2015

Genre: Fiction; Fantasy; Historical Fiction; Adventure; Adult for Young Adult

Pages: 398

Format: Hardback

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Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.

Parallel universes, magic, London, London, and more London. How…intriguing.

Scene One: Red London. So saturated with magic, the inability to control the elements is considered odd. Scene Two: Grey London. Our London, aka the considerably less cool of all the Londons. Scene Three: White London. Oppressed by the cold, cruel, colorless Danes twins, this London is doomed to meet the unspeakable fate of Black London.

First of all, character building? Flawless. Lila, the bossest of characters I’ve read in 2016, was a hands down favorite (except, of course, the Danes twins, but we’ll get to that later…). Kell and Lila made the most fantastic team. The dynamic between the two was indispensable in creating the suspenseful nature withheld throughout the entirety of the novel. Let me explain:

Kell: Dreamy (emphasis on the dreammmyy). The pet of the Red London royal family. A good boy, except when he’s not. A curator of relics of other Londons and an unapologetically proficient black-market dealer, which happens to be a bit illegal. An Antari and one of the few remaining Travelers.

Lila: An all-round-good-for-everything badass. Dreams of adventure and escape, preferably of the pirate variety. A competent thief and incurably stubborn. Sarcastic, insensitive. A blast to read.

They fit together like two perfect pieces of a puzzle.

As they fight two villains who could possibly be two of my favorite villains of all time, they work in perfect harmony. I appreciate how Schwab doesn’t make their victory too easy. Those Danes twins were the most well-developed antagonists. With well-placed rumors of floors inlaid with the bones of their enemies, their wonderfully creepy appearances, and their insane, despicable dispositions, the Danes twins were entirely unlikeable (in the most likeable way).

Parallel universe settings are so easy to get wrong. Luckily, Schwab knows what she’s doing and does it right in every way. She cuts down on the potential confusion by focusing on one particular place throughout the entire novel with certain checkpoints to hold the three worlds together. She doesn’t go overboard with fifty worlds, nor does she lamely half-ass her attempt with only two worlds. She sticks with the nice, comfortable, simple number of 3 (or, technically, 4). She briefly mentions the differing surroundings of each world, but doesn’t go into too much depth.

Also, can we just take a second and look at this beautiful cover? Is it not stunning?

A Darker Shade of Magic was a job well-done. Every part of this book deserved the favorable reception it was given. I’ll be reading the sequel very soon.

“I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”

A Gathering of Shadows

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

2016-03-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a really great meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.

Today's Topic?

Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR List

Spring (n.): One of the four season of the year; usually entails the cutest darn baby animals you've ever seen in your entire life, more flowers than there are stars, allergies, allergies, and more allergies, the weather you've been waiting all freaking year for, and, of course, brand new books!

Here are the top ten books on my to-read list for this year's spring time:

1. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare: Spring is all about new things, right? Well...this BRAND NEW series in the Shadowhunter chronicles should be perfect for spring reading!

2. The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski: With no particular relation to the spring time, I just really need to get my hands on this book. I loved her other novels, and now, it's time for me to devour this one. It just happened to be released around spring.

3. The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore: Birds are springy. They fly around and tweet their little (slightly annoying) bird songs. Why not read a book that references feathers in the title?

4. The Heir by Kiera Cass: I have to, I have to read this book. Now. Right now. I might be subjecting myself to an onslaught of thorougly addicting books/romances, but I am so ready for it.

5. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty: I smell realistic fiction with a side of juicy romance. What could be more perfect for the spring?

6. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys: I love me some real good historical fiction. Salt to the Sea is not only historical, it's Ruta Sepetys historical, which, to me, is one of the best kinds.
7. Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between by Jennifer E. Smith: So, no, there is never a time when romance is not appropriate. But, during the spring time, it's even MORE appropriate. And Jennifer E. Smith is just too cute. Plus, might I just say, her book titles are to die for.
8. Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider: I adored the Beginning of Everything, and even if this story isn't as happy-go-lucky as some of the other picture-perfect spring reads, a story about second chances and learning to love is just fine for this time of year.
9. The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick: Ah, the aforementioned picture-perfect spring read. What else can I say?
10. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard: The first was so good, I just couldn't deny myself the pleasure of reading the sequel. Reading this as soon as possible is high on my list of spring to-dos.

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke Review

2015-08-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman

Title: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

Author: Anne Blankman

Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog #2

Publisher: Blazer + Bray

Publication Date: April 21, 2015

Genre: Fiction; Historical Fiction; Romance; Adventure; Mystery; Young Adult

Pages: 406

Format: ARC

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The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: She used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich, she lives with a kindly English family, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel Cohen, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.

But then, Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside-down. And when she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped-and return to her homeland.

Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid capture and recognition, even though saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time-or will Hitler discover them first?

*Sigh*Historical fiction is so great.

Gretchen Whitestone was once Adolf Hitler’s pet. She was the perfect niece, and she admired Hitler to the point of fault. After meeting Daniel Cohen, her world shattered, and she ended up in England, free from Hitler’s tight reign over her and Germany. She’s happy, and she sees the life she always wanted stretched out before her. However, when Daniel is captured in Germany, Gretchen must face her horrible past, and triumph over the once inescapable grasp of her Uncle Adolf.

Even though we all know how it ends (Hitler gains control of Germany and starts a war around the world), Anne Blankman still manages to keep me guessing. She writes like there’s a chance of Hitler’s defeat, even if there’s not. When I’m reading her work, I’m in Germany while the Nazis are rising. I’m watching the Nazi parade and seeing Hitler’s stupid little mustache. Her melding of history and fiction together is astounding and thoroughly entertaining. Her painstaking attention to detail is enough to send her novels over the moon.

I love how this book shines a totally new light on who Adolf Hitler was, and how his comrades in his quest for domination acted and thought. I love the historical value of Anne Blankman’s writing, and it totally makes this whole reading historical fiction thing worth it ten times over. Reading and learning are two of my favorite things, and both come in this 406 page package.

I maintain that the Prisoner of Night and Fog series is one of the best World War II novels written, among Code Name Verity and The Book Thief. If there is ever another book in this series, I would read in a heartbeat.

The Girl At Midnight Review

2015-08-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Title: The Girl at Midnight

Author: Melissa Grey

Series: The Girl at Midnight #1

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication Date: April 28, 2015

Genre: Fiction; Fantasy; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 357

Format: ARC

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Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

How to describe this book…A Mortal Instruments copycat? Sure. Honorable attempt turned epic failure? Yes. Boring? Definitely.

Echo is a self-taught thief adopted by the magical race of the Avicen, a.k.a. The Bird People. The Avicen has had a raging, violent war with their counterparts, the Drakharin, a.k.a. The Lizard People, for centuries. The only hope for either race’s survival is the Firebird, a mystical object with enough power to stop the war or destroy everyone in it, and Echo is tasked with finding it. Her seemingly impossible mission will bring unlikely enemies and allies alike, and Echo will have to decide who she can and cannot trust.

Looking back on it now, it even sounds ridiculous.

From page one, I’ve felt as if I’d read it all before. Nothing was new, including the characters. Take the Mortal Instruments: one female human, several non-human friends, one guy in love with another guy in love with another guy in love with the female human, and one non-human sister-brother pair. The Girl at Midnight was exactly the same. Exactly. No difference what-so-ever. If I wanted to read another Mortal Instruments novel, I would’ve just read the original. I would’ve been more entertained the second time around than I was with the first time of The Girl at Midnight.

The romance desperately needed something. A lot of something. I could see the potential, but it was never realized and all around just made me sad. The “snark” and “wit” of the main character was rudimentary and unoriginal. The setting was uninteresting, as was the plot. I was never totally clear on the exact plot/goal of the characters. I lost focus about mid-way and never found it again. Overall, a whole-heartedly one star disappointment.

The Shadow Hour

April 7, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Fairytale Retellings

2015-08-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a fantastic meme hosted by the Broke and Bookish.

This Week's Topic: Fairytale Retellings

A fairytale retelling is considered classic in the realm of young adult novels. The Queens of the fairy tales (and of this list) have to be Alex Finn, Marissa Meyer, and Gail Carson Levine, all of which seem to specialize in retelling the favorites. Most of the books that I've chosen for this list are from my childhood, give or take one or two, because, I'll be honest, I'm growing out of the retellings. However, that in no way denies the fact that these book are some of the best I've ever read. Here are my top ten choices:

1. Ink Heart by Cornelia Funke: As a kid, I loved both this book and its movie. Ink Heart is, in my mind, the quintessential retelling. It is literally about having the power to bring fairytale book characters to life by reading aloud. It perfectly captures the essence of imagination and storytelling and is a great read for middle grades and up.
2. Beastly by Alex Finn: As I said before, Alex Finn is a Queen of fairytale retellings. Along with Beastly, I also love A Kiss in Time. (Towering, however, I was not a fan of. At all.) Beastly was inspired by Beauty and the Beast, and A Kiss in Time was inspired by Sleeping Beauty. Alex Finn has also written stories derived from Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, and The Frog Prince.
3. Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis: When it was released, Stitching Snow got a lot of YA hype surrounding it. In this novel, R.C. Lewis retold the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
4. Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer: Meyer was the first person I thought of when I saw that the prompt for this week. In the Lunar Chronicles, Meyer has retold Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel. Everyone who is anyone in the YA book world knows about Meyer and her wildly popular Lunar Chronicles series.
5. Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen: This is my favorite book out of the entire list. Lisa Jensen spins Peter Pan (which I consider a fairy tale) into a rich and exciting story told from Captain Hook's point of view.

6. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige: I haven't seen many retelling of The Wizard of Oz, and this is the only one I've actually read. Edgy and strangle and inexplicably good, it was hard to forget this book even after I'd finished.
7. The Selection by Kiera Cass: Even if this whole series is obviously a spin-off of the Bachelor, it does have some traces of Cinderella, which apparently has earned it a spot on this list. It makes me mad how addictive this series really is. Impossible to put down is an understatement.
8. East by Edith Pattou: I read this a long time ago, but I still remember. It has to be one of the best Beauty and the Beast retellings out there today.
9. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson: If I included one Peter Pan retelling, I had to include another. Peter Pan, the story, is amazing, but this take on the briefly mentioned minor character Tiger Lily was so perfect.
10. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: When I was younger, Gail Carson Levine was my whole world. In my elementary school's library, there was an entire shelf dedicated to her books. Every time we went in there, I was drawn to that shelf like the impressionable magnet I was. She was my idol, and my childhood love of reading was pretty much built around her. Plus, it's pretty much impossible to dislike Ella Enchanted.

Some fairytale retellings that I desperately want to get my hands on:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
2. Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
3. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
4. Egg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire

I'll Meet You There Review

2015-08-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Title: I’ll Meet You There

Author: Heather Demetrios

Series: None

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Publication Date: February 3, 2015

Genre: Fiction; Realistic Fiction; Contemporary; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 388

Format: Hardcover

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If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

On some level, I always knew this book was going to be good. My book compass is rarely this right. To my delight, I’ll Meet You There started out good and kept getting better from there.

Skylar Evans is trapped in her rusty nowhere town of Creek View. If she followed the unspoken rules of all other Creek View residents, she’d stay there for the rest of her life, living pay check-to-paycheck on a GED education or less. She’d marry a good-for-nothing furniture occupier and be pregnant by the time she was getting her high school diploma. And she’d be happy about it. But passionately artistic Skylar sticks to her own Plan. But when art school and the escape from her dead beat town starts slipping through her outstretched fingers, she starts to think the Plan is just another dream. Then, Josh Mitchell, town legend turned Marine, returns from Afghanistan with only one leg. Skylar and Josh’s path coincidentally collide at Paradise, and years of loneliness and hopeless dreaming come together and form a relationship deeper in meaning than either of them had ever hoped they deserved.

This book is about a lot of things: overcoming socioeconomic status, the tragic aftermath of fighting in a war, loss, betrayal, hope, and love. It was a statement of the intricate traps set by a person’s external environment, and the trying attempts one has to make in order to break free of such prisons.

Skylar Evans has always been subject to the life of trailer parks and working two jobs to support a static life that becomes neither better nor worse. Success and comfortability is unforeseeable from her and her family’s impoverished position. Her mother, throughout the story, is vulnerable to bouts of depression and the draw of a man whose only attractive feature is his ability to finance her and Skylar’s lives.

Josh’s reckless reputation has kept his old self alive in his old home town of Creek View. His return after joining the Marines was unexpected yet quickly accepted. After all, a life in Creek View was like quicksand; you could try to escape and may even almost succeed for a moment, but sooner or later, you’re bound to be sucked back in again. Josh not only returns as a shell of the charismatic and rash boy he once was but also as a wounded veteran with the bags upon bags of suppressed learned instincts and emotions.

What’s so different about this book compared to all the other tributes to our veterans is Demetrios’ unapologetic take on the wounded veteran. Held in such high esteem, it’s not uncommon for authors to tip-toe around their characters, afraid to break their perfect warrior specimen, to flaw them in places they should be polished. Demetrios, exposed to the life of veterans and soldiers her entire life, was fearless yet respectful with her imperfect portrayal of Josh, the image of a war vet riddled with guilt, regret, fear, and post-traumatic stress. Not only was she brutally honest with the way she built Josh so ragged and bruised, but also with the means in which she formed the harsh realities of loving someone such as Josh.

Neither Josh nor Skylar can be considered unique or original. As mere representations of the millions of people living in their positions, their main purpose is to instill a special kind of compassion and respect for those they embody. Demetrios’ mastery in storytelling was hypnotic and hard to look away from, as was all the elements in her story. From the characters to the setting to the heartbreak, this novel was breathtakingly real.

Sway Review

2015-07-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sway by Kat Spears

Title: Sway

Author: Kat Spears

Series: None

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Realistic Fiction; Contemporary; Romance; Disability; Young Adult

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

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In Kat Spears’s hilarious and often poignant debut, high school senior Jesse Alderman, or "Sway," as he’s known, could sell hell to a bishop. He also specializes in getting things people want---term papers, a date with the prom queen, fake IDs. He has few close friends and he never EVER lets emotions get in the way. For Jesse, life is simply a series of business transactions.

But when Ken Foster, captain of the football team, leading candidate for homecoming king, and all-around jerk, hires Jesse to help him win the heart of the angelic Bridget Smalley, Jesse finds himself feeling all sorts of things. While following Bridget and learning the intimate details of her life, he falls helplessly in love for the very first time. He also finds himself in an accidental friendship with Bridget’s belligerent and self-pitying younger brother who has cerebral palsy. Suddenly, Jesse is visiting old folks at a nursing home in order to run into Bridget, and offering his time to help the less fortunate, all the while developing a bond with this young man who idolizes him. Could the tin man really have a heart after all?

A Cyrano de Bergerac story with a modern twist, Sway is told from Jesse’s point of view with unapologetic truth and biting humor, his observations about the world around him untempered by empathy or compassion---until Bridget’s presence in his life forces him to confront his quiet devastation over a life-changing event a year earlier and maybe, just maybe, feel something again.

When I first read the tagline Boy Meets Girl. Boy Charms Girl…For Someone Else., I immediately thought of Ten Things I Hate About You, one of my favorite movies, then I thought of Heath Ledger, then I sighed because Heath Ledger, then I picked up Sway because any book that can get me thinking about Heath Ledger is worth reading. Simple. Logic.

Jesse “Sway” Alderman specializes in getting people what they want. Drugs. Alcohol. An A on the semester exam. Done and done, with little to no effort. But when the school’s meathead, Ken Foster, asks Sway to get him a girl…well, Sway’s never turned down a challenge. When he realizes the “girl” isn’t just a “girl” but actually the town’s perfect do-gooder, Bridget Smalley, things get a little more challenging. Especially when he falls for her. Sway starts to change, even earns himself a new friend, Bridget’s younger brother. The only problem is he made a deal, and Bridget’s not his to keep. Will Sway fall surrender to the feelings he never knew he could feel, or will he tap into his steely, unemotional self and tell himself that this is “just business”?

First worry: The undoubtable presence of the dreaded Insta-love (Just add water!). Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad. Even though “Oh, I love you! Don’t leave me! I can’t live without you!” did show up right of the gate, it didn’t bother me that much. It could be because I was expecting it, but I don’t think so. Something about the way the author incorporated dark subjects like drugs and suicide made it, I don’t know, make sense.

Second worry: The lack of plot. I had some reasonable doubts about whether or not the nine word tagline revealed any and all plot the book contained. Would Sway turn out to be a lame, two-dimensional, superficial let-down? Or would actual tell a story worth reading? It turned out the answer would be the latter.

So, the story was good, the romance was good. Any actual complaints? Why, yes, thank you for asking. The only problem for me that almost ruined the entire book was Bridget Smalley. Too perfect, too pretty, too privileged, and waaay too hate-able. No one likes anyone that’s too perfect. And Bridget Smalley was too perfect. Sway was great. He had faults that made him all the more likeable. But Bridget had no faults. How am I supposed to like someone like that? Excuse me, but I’d like to think that guys don’t fall for just the perfect ones. However, I was able to overlook this small problem in the favor of Sway. So in the end, it’s just a tiny complaint, not a game-changer.

I liked it. In fact, it’s one of my new favorites. I would recommend it to any romantic in a heartbeat.

The Murder Complex Review

2015-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

Title: The Murder Complex

Author: Lindsay Cummings

Series: The Murder Complex #1

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: June 10, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Dystopia; Science Fiction; Thriller; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 398

Format: Hardcover

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An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.

A boy trained to kill. A girl taught to survive. What could possibly go wrong?

Zephyr and Meadow live in a state packed with too much people and too much crime. Their lives and their deaths are controlled by the MC, the Murder Complex (*cough* Title *cough*). The MC tracks the delicate balance of the population in their community. After Meadow’s mother died in the streets during the night, her father is bent on protecting her and the rest of her family. Being put through grueling training has heightened Meadow’s instincts and ensured her ability to survive. When a chance encounter forced Zephyr, a meaningless Ward, into her life, her world is flipped, and truths start to turn into lies.

The plot line was basic. Normal. Nothing new. Another Class A case of forbidden romance. Woo-hoo. It’s not like we don’t know how it’ll end. But the setting, that’s where it actually gets interesting.

The world Lindsay built was grotesque and horrifying, and ironically, intriguing. I’m not one for horror, but this book wasn’t a horror; it was a thriller. Big difference. Instead of being scary, it was more…thrilling. Edge of you seat, tips of your toes kind of thrilling. It’s the difference between captivatingly heart-stopping and just plain disturbing. While there’s plenty of death, guts, and blood, it’s all about suspense and mystery – not a showcase of the macabre.

The romance was vanilla. It gave me everything I expected, which honestly I didn’t really want. I wanted to be surprised. I wanted this book to give me the old razzle-dazzle. What I really needed were two things:

1. Less of that gross mushy stuff. There’s no time for declarations of ever-lasting love! Hello?! You’re in a world ruled by murder – start acting like it please!

2. More danger and frenzy and fear. See above points.

Be warned, there's no ending, just a real kick ass cliffhanger at the end.

The Murder Complex was a good read for those still caught on the tail end of the dystopia fad or those you wanted to be thrilled with guts and glory. Honestly, it’s not a bad waste of time, and I wouldn't mind wasting more on it's sequel.

The Death Code

May 26, 2015

An Ember In The Ashes Review

2015-07-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Title: An Ember in the Ashes

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Series: An Ember in the Ashes #1

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: April 28, 2015

Genre: Fiction; Fantasy; Romance; Adventure; Young Adult

Pages: 446

Format: Hardcover

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Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

I was put off by this book for some odd reason. I think it was the word “ashes.” Apparently, I’m naturally repulsed by the word “ashes,” especially in book titles. I can only guess it’s because of past traumatic experiences. Thank the Powers That Be that I had a momentary lapse in judgement and decided to read this book.

Laia and Elias live different lives. Their paths were never meant to cross. They should have nothing in common. But they do, and there’s nothing they can do to stop the attraction between them, no matter how much they know they should. One is a soldier, and one is a slave. One rules over the other. Mutual hatred is expected. Elias is a soldier, top of his class, son of the terrifying Commander. Everything about him should scream “Martial Empire!”, and yet, it doesn’t. He resents his family, his past. He is a slave to his own duty, and he only wants freedom. When a search for the new Emperor pulls Elias even deeper the realm of the Martials, he can no longer run. He must fight. Laia is a princess of the rebellion, expected to continue her family’s line of duty in fighting against the oppressive Martial Empire, but she is unexpectedly reluctant to fight for what her parents died for. When her brother is captured, Laia is willing to do anything to retrieve the only family she has left, including joining the Rebellion singlehandedly built by her parents. She is tasked with spying in the heart of the Martial Empire. She may get everything she’s ever wanted including her brother and her freedom, or she may die a torturous death at the hands of the Commander.

When you look at the cover, what are your first thoughts? Mine were simple: 1. Cool. 2. Post-Apocalyptic. 3. Too many words. 4. Fire. 5. Stereotypical Armageddon, maybe with a pinch of not-so-well-written romance. Five thoughts in all, and none of them were correct. Yet another example of that cliché about book covers and judging and whatnot. But seriously, I was so wrong, it wasn’t even funny. First of all, this book was more than cool. It was fantastic. It was more like a fiery pit of awesome than just “cool”. Secondly, it wasn’t even post-apocalyptic. It was futuristic yet kind of medieval and magic-y and different and intriguing. Thirdly, the book didn’t have too many words. It didn’t have enough. Fourth, fire really wasn’t a big deal. And lastly, it was not stereotypical, or Armageddon-like, and the romance was definitely not badly written and did not exist in a quantity that can be described as a “pinch.” So, in conclusion, all my preconceptions about this book were absolutely wrong.

The characters were so great. Mysterious yet understandable, complex yet simple. The romance was die-hard intoxicating and mind-controlling. You know the kind: the one where you walk around all day thinking about nothing but the complicated romance and the characters, and you constantly have to remind yourself it’s a book and you obsessing over it won’t change anything. Except, this one was a little different. Picture this: you’re at a basketball game and you’re cheering for a team, then suddenly, out of nowhere, the team you were rooting for changes into a completely different team, and even though you have no idea who they are, you continue rooting for them until you’re full heartedlly cheering them on. Then, BAM, you’re back to the original, and you’re still cheering like an idiot because you have no idea what else to do. Then there’s a giant puff of smoke and you’re in an entirely different game with entirely different teams, and now you’re really an idiot because you have no idea what’s going on, and you’re still cheering. It’s like that. But worse. It’s so great. Eventually, you familiarize yourselves with the teams and pick a favorite. I’m Team Elias all the way, baby. I can understand the other side, though. Actually, I take that back. I don’t get anyone who’s not on Team Elias because Elias ROCKS.

Read the book. You won’t regret it. I’ll even bet ten bucks that this is the next big thing. It’s that good.

TBA

April 26, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Celebrating Diversity

2015-07-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a fantastic meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This is my first time participating, and I am really excited about it.

Prompt: Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters

Books (and life) without diversity would be so boring. Diversity makes things fun and exciting and weird (in a good way), and when you're exposed to different things and characters and stories, you learn so much more about perspective and compassion. My favorite books to read are the ones told from the point of view of someone that's different than everyone else around them. Whether it be LGBTQ, mental illness, physical deformities, etc, etc, I love learning about it. It expands my view of the world around me, and I learn that my life is so small compared to thousands and thousands others out there with their own problems and their own lives. These books taught me things I never would've known about before and have helped me celebrate diversity.

1. Shabanu (Shabanu #1) by Suzanna Fisher Staples: I read this book about four years ago, but I still think about it. Told in the setting of Pakistan, Shabanu taught me about the Muslim culture, and what it would be like to grow up in world where I would have very little of the rights I have today.

2. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz: This was my first LGBT book, and I didn't even know it until about half-way through. I was surprised, but not in a bad way. It's sweet and hopeful, and the writing is beautiful.

3. Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern: What book would be more perfect for Celebrating Diversity than a love story between a boy with crippling OCD and a girl with cerebral palsy? Unique in it's own right, this book will teach you the difficulties of living with both mental and physical disabilities.

4. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson: Three words: 2015 Printz Winner. This book is so great, so pure, and so meaningful. I would recommend it to anyone.

5. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson: A memoir written in verse, this thoughtful novel tells the personal story of growing up in the middle of the Civil Rights movement. Culture and acceptance play a major role in Woodson's intimate history.

6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: A novel filled with growing pains and finding out who you are, The Absolute True Diary tells a story of both embracing and escaping your roots. It's told from the point of view of tender, innocent adolescence and can teach everyone a thing or two about growing up in one community and striving to succeed in another.

7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: This book blew my mind. More than once. I've never read anything like it. The point of view is from a boy with autism, one of the most misunderstood mental disabilities. To be inside a mind as complex as this one was incredible.

8. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: Many have noticed the growing popularity of books about suicide and depression in the YA book world, and All the Bright Places was one of the first. I loved it, and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read it. Influenced by the author's own memories, I consider this story as one of the most brave and unapologetic I have ever read.

9. Caminar by Skila Brown: Few books in the middle grade and young adult levels ever talk about the events of the Guatemalan civil war, and even fewer do it with verse. This one is one of the very few.

10. Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: One of the reason why I think so many people love this book is because everyone, on one level or another, is a wallflower. They relate to Charlie's unique voice, and therefore, relate to Chbosky's writing on a very deep level. This book deals with a myriad of characters with different backgrounds and personalities, which is why I feel is deserves a spot of a list meant to celebrate diversity.

Which books do you think celebrate diversity?

Perilous Sea Review

2015-07-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

Title: The Perilous Sea

Author: Sherry Thomas

Series: The Elemental Trilogy #2

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Historical Fiction; Adventure; Fantasy; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 414

Format: Hardcover

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After spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.

Soon after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and forging a divergent path to an unknowable future.

Yep. Sherry Thomas still got it.

Iolanthe (how do you say that? EYE-OH-LANthhh? EEE-uh-LAWNT? I wish I knew. It would make the book so much better if I wasn’t always thinking “DAMMIT WHAT IS THAT NAME?”) and Titus come back together after spending a summer apart after the crazy events of The Burning Sky. Iolanthe is still acting under the pseudonym of Archer Fairfax. She and Titus continue to work together, reading spell books, practicing magic, and a little something extra, if you catch my drift (*wink wink*). Things are going good until Titus decides to have a realization that will ruin all their plans and their relationship. Way to go, Titus. You put the im- in impossible romance. Iolanthe aka Archer can no longer serve the purpose she was originally promised. Can she recover from being tossed aside after everything that’s happened?

I had doubts. It had been a while since I read The Burning Sky, and I wasn’t entirely convinced that I would remember all that I was expected to remember. Like when you go back to school after summer break. Unrealistic expectations of you retained from last year’s chemistry class is inevitable. Lucky for me, this book was very different from a chemistry class (thank God). The story was surprisingly easy to catch up on with skillfully placed reminders.

The sequel was just as fantastic as the first book. The key to a successful series is to write the separate installments as separate stories with their own personalized story lines. Otherwise, readers are stuck with a boring continuation of a story to which they already said goodbye. Readers want new, exciting, suspense. They can’t have that if they are caught into reading a prolonged conclusion to a washed-up plot line. Sherry Thomas knew this and played it up. Her Perilous Sea story was exciting and filled with its own set of problems. I was just as entertained with the dazzling magic in this book as the previous.

The characters were built and written fully. They were well rounded and complex. Their romance was held back just enough to keep my intrigue and left me wanting just the right amount of more. Respectfully clever and hard to put down, this novel an overall success. With the bar set to sky-scraping heights, I can’t help wonder if Sherry Thomas can keep up with the standards she’s set for the final book.

The Immortal Heights

October 13, 2015

Mosquitoland Review

2015-07-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Title: Mosquitoland

Author: David Arnold

Series: None

Publisher: Viking Children’s

Publication Date: March 3, 2015

Genre: Fiction; Realistic Fiction; Adventure; Contemporary; Disability; Coming-of-Age; Young Adult

Pages: 352

Format: Hardcover

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After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the "wastelands" of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland.
So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane.
Told in an unforgettable, kaleidoscopic voice, "Mosquitoland" is a modern American odyssey, as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.

“I am a collection of oddities, a circus of neutrons and electrons: my heart is the ringmaster, my soul is the trapeze artist, and the world is my audience. It sounds strange because it is, and it is, because I am strange.”

This book was a Book of Woah. As in, I couldn’t stop saying “woah” every five pages.

Mary Iris Malone is weird and unique and running away from home. She’s going to save her mom, who was abandoned and is now sick. Mary has to save her mother if it’s the last thing she’ll do, and she’s putting every resource she has into finding a way to Cleveland. She’ll stumble across different characters, each a little bit weirder than the last, until she finds a way back home.

This book gave me shivers. Chills. Goosebumbs. You name it, I got it. I devoured every little word, every perfectly written phrase like a feast. A literary feast of bottomless wisdom and refillable intelligence. I couldn’t stop rereading the really excellent quotes, scared that I would forget them or the fact that they even existed. I want to own this book just so I can read it over and over again, and commit the really good things to memory.

The character were by far some of the best that I have read ever. Mary Iris Malone, just by herself, was a unique character expertly crafted into something I’ve never seen before. With her messed up uvula, her one blind eye, and her war paint, she was fantastic to read and watch throughout the story. She was unapologetically weird, and is relatable by everyone, I think, because inside of everyone, there’s a little bit of an anomaly.

“Because even today, inasmuch as an anomaly is a thing that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. I can think of no more appropriate word to describe myself.”

The book is written like a journal some parts, and in normal novel format in others. You witness her journey from two sides, and you can barely wait to see how it will end. In the story, Mary travels with interesting characters that deviate from every strand of normal you could think of. From an old woman with a box she won’t let go of, to a boy with Down Syndrome and a contagious smile, Mary is accepting of everyone’s oddities, probably because she is a bit odd herself. She makes life-long, priceless friendships with unexpected allies and teaches the reader how important it is to just be.

I don’t know what I expected from this book. All I know is that I got everything I bargained for plus a little more. I can’t wait until this book gets the attention it deserves, because it deserves all the attention in the world. I loved this book, its messages, and its characters. In my mind, it’s one of the classics, and I cannot wait until other people experience it for all its magnificence.

“And as simple as it sounds, I think understanding who you are—and who you are not—is the most important thing of all Important Things.”

What's Next? Highly Anticipated Releases of 2016

2015-07-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Now that all the books with the 2015 release date have either been released or have been already published and devoured, we book lovers have already started looking toward the future. What will be available for all the bibliomaniacs to stock their libraries and cram their faces with in the coming years? As we all expected, the answer is too much yet too little. We can look forward to new releases from the most talked about authors and continuations of the book world's hottest series. John Green, anyone?

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare
First up, we have Cassandra Clare, the author that put the hot in Shadowhunter. Of course we all saw this coming. One thing's for sure, Clare ain't fading into the night (aka Washed-up-author-ville) without a hearty fight. With that suggestive (and might I say intriguing) end to her Mortal Instruments series, I would've been mad if this wasn't coming out. A devoted (not as much as some but still) follower of Jace and Clary, I wanted more than the ending Clare gave me. Excuse me if I get a bit book-righteous, but I feel I deserve this new beginning of the much-wanted new series, along with all other the Mortal Insturment-obsessed. Of course, Cassandra Clare will have to do the almost impossible: live up to all the hype. And nothing can kill a book or an author's career like hype. Release Date: March 8, 2016 by Margaret K. McElderry Book
+summary

P.S. Cassandra Clare is also said to be working on another one of the five series she hopes to write about the Shadowhunters. Chain of Thorns is the first novel in The Last Hours trilogy, said to take place in 1903 following the next generation after The Infernal Devices (Tessa Gray and Will Herondale). Unfortunately, we have even less information about it than the Dark Artifices. More waiting, I suppose.

Untitled by Stephanie Perkins
Up next in the brigade of books is Stephanie Perkins. Known for her witty, light books of the romance variety, Perkins has made a name for herself among the young and old of the young adult crowd, with the help of Lola, Isla, and Anna. Her humor and sweet, feel-good stories are iconic, which is why it's so surprising that her new novel is anything but. The changeover between chick-lit to horror-suspense is sure to be a rough one. Am I so wrong to doubt the Perkins' revolution? Release Date: 2016 by Dutton
+Summary

Untitled (Untitled #1) by Marissa Meyer
Little is known about this series. The few bits of knowledge available are that it doesn't have a title, it's part of a trilogy that also has no title, and has something to with "super heroes and super villains". Cyborg super humans perhaps? Princesses with a thing against being in distress? All, I think, are likely possibilities. Release Date: Fall 2016 by Feiwel and Friends
+Summary

Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Along with her new series, Marissa Meyer is said to also be publishing another new novel called Heartless. If anyone has the control of the reins of the writing train, it seems to be Marissa Meyer, pounding out novels as she is. This book is rumored to be a prequel to Alice in Wonderland and will tell the tale of the notorious Queen of Hearts. Meyer apparently has a thing for fairy tale spin-offs. Who knew? Release Date: November 8, 2016 by Feiwel and Friends
+Summary

Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
I read the Lynburn Legacy. I fell in love with the first one, then fell into a spell of depression after reading the next books which I lovingly refer to as The Epic Fails. I'm not sure my love (or lack thereof) will keep me from reading this new one, however. I know Brennan can write well because the first book of the Lynburn Legacy is evidence. And besides, this is the first book, if not the only book, of a series, and if Brennan has a talent for anything, it's humor and first novels. Release Date: 2016 by HarperCollins
+Summary

Flamecaster (The Shattered Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima
This book is one I am genuinely excited for. Chima is a goddess when it comes to really good fantasy novels. Don't even get me started on The Demon King series because I could go on for days about how much I love it. And finding out that Chima is writing about The Seven Realms a generation later? Did I die? Cause I'm pretty sure this is heaven. I've been waiting years for this to happen, and it's actually happening. I just...I'm just so happy. Release Date: April 19, 2016
+Summary

Untitled by John Green
Basically, the only thing we know is John Green is writing a book. And that's enough to see fireworks in some people's eyes, including mine. Release Date: Unknown by Puffin
+Summary

AND SINCE IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO LOOK INTO THE FUTURE, HERE'S A HEALTHY DOSE OF 2017...

Untitled by Veronica Roth
It's widely known that Veronica Roth is sore spot amongst the YA community, you know, after the whole Tris episode. Some words were said, some rash actions taken, but hopefully all of that is behind us. We can move on, forget, and forgive. Okay... maybe, we'll just forget. ...Or just ignore anything happened, like they do in all unhealthy relationships. It'll be fine. Anyway, Veronica Roth is publishing a duology, and I believe the words "Star Wars" were used. Hopefully, this series won't cause an uproar and a near miss with an all-out rebellion. Crossing my fingers! Release Date: 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books
+Summary

I Was Here Review

2015-07-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Title: I Was Here

Author: Gayle Forman

Series: None

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Publication Date: January 27, 2015

Genre: Realistic Fiction; Fiction; Contemporary; Romance; Disabilities; Coming-of-Age; Young Adult

Pages: 270

Format: Hardcover

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When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

I’ve read multiple books that confront the subject of suicide and depression. With this one, Gayle Forman adds her own element of writing that sets it apart from others. I Was Here is by no means like any of Gayle Forman’s previous light romance reads. It has a ton of baggage. So much so, a reader has to purposefully carve out time in his schedule to make sure he reads this book thoroughly and cover to cover.

Cody is caught in a tidal wave of misunderstanding, confusion, and guilt after her best friend commits suicide in a hotel room. Meg seemed to have thought of everything right down to the tip for the maid. While everyone is focused of healing, forgetting, and moving on, something keeps Cody from letting go of her best friend. She can’t accept the one and only explanation for Meg’s death. When opportunity hands her a ticket to Meg’s old dorm room, Cody takes it as a chance to discover what exactly was going on with her best friend.

I respect Gayle Forman’s decision to write about a topic as serious as teen depression and suicide. I also respect her work on the characters and the emotions they encountered in the story. Her attention to the disasters surrounding the suicide, like the damage wrought around the epicenter of an earthquake, was realistic and tell it like it is. This story could’ve so easily been preachy, but she managed to stay away from that line.

The writing was unrecognizable as Gayle Forman’s. It was dark in all the places where her other books are lighter, and it was about ten thousand pounds heavier. She really pushed her boundaries with I Was Here.

This book didn’t entertain me as much as it educated me. I left with more of an understanding of what drives people to suicide and the effects it has on those around us. I Was Here has an important lesson to share with all its readers, one that I will definitely remember.

Stitching Snow Review

2015-07-10T00:00:00.001-07:00

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Title: Stitching Snow

Author: R.C. Lewis

Series: None

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: October 14, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Science Fiction; Futuristic; Retelling; Adventure; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 328

Format: Hardcover

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Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

First Impressions: Stitching Snow looks like any other fairy tale retelling. A breeding ground for the infamous insta-love (*gag*). Little to no complexity in the plot. Shallow characters, (i.e. the wanna-be-hero male lead and pathetically-hopeless female lead). Extremely low expectations.

After Reading: Stitching Snow was nothing like how I thought it would be.

Essie chooses to live in the coldest, most desolate of planets. She keeps her distance and expects everyone else to do the same. When someone named Dane crashes near her home, she can no longer keep her distance. Something about him and his circumstances draws her in and forces her to confront the past she’s been desperately trying to forget. When it becomes clear she can no longer run from her role in the fate of the universe, she must choose a side.

Following a trend set by the well-loved Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, Essie is a mechanic on a distant planet fighting to end an oppressive regime. It's no wonder that people have noticed the disturbing similarities between the two books, and while there is a undeniable like-hood between the two, I gave Stitching Snow a chance to prove it was different. It really wasn't that different, but there were qualities about this book that set it apart from its competition that made it worth reading.

The characters, setting, plot line, world-building were all on point. Essie was a textbook case in terms of retold fairy tales. Independent, smart, defiant, cautious but not so much as to miss out on adventure. The exact opposite of the character they were based off. There will be no sniveling damsels-in-distress here.

With a name like Stitching Snow, I expected one of those nothing novels. The ones you read then instantly forget because it was so superfluous and unremarkable. I was extremely surprised to find heavy subjects distributed throughout this seemingly light and fluffy story line. Abandonment, death, abuse. They were all in there. Who would’ve thought? The confrontation of these topics caught me so off guard, I couldn’t help contemplate it long after I’d actually finished the book.

To sum up, this book defied all my pre-conceived notions on exactly how it would turn out. I’d recommend it for a quick read, especially for the lovers of Cinder caught in the limbo of waiting for the next book of the Lunar Chronicles. For those still doubtful, pick it up any way. You may be surprised.

Alias Hook Review

2015-07-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen

Title: Alias Hook

Author: Lisa Jensen

Series: None

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Historical Fiction; Fantasy; Retelling; Romance; Adventure; Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

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"Every child knows how the story ends. The wicked pirate captain is flung overboard, caught in the jaws of the monster crocodile who drags him down to a watery grave. But it was not yet my time to die. It's my fate to be trapped here forever, in a nightmare of childhood fancy, with that infernal, eternal boy."

Meet Captain James Benjamin Hook, a witty, educated Restoration-era privateer cursed to play villain to a pack of malicious little boys in a pointless war that never ends. But everything changes when Stella Parrish, a forbidden grown woman, dreams her way to the Neverland in defiance of Pan's rules. From the glamour of the Fairy Revels, to the secret ceremonies of the First Tribes, to the mysterious underwater temple beneath the Mermaid Lagoon, the magical forces of the Neverland open up for Stella as they never have for Hook. And in the pirate captain himself, she begins to see someone far more complex than the storybook villain.

With Stella's knowledge of folk and fairy tales, she might be Hook's last chance for redemption and release if they can break his curse before Pan and his warrior boys hunt her down and drag Hook back to their neverending game. Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen is a beautifully and romantically written adult fairy tale.

When someone said “Peter Pan,” I used to conjure up feelings of warmth and love. Now, whenever someone brings up Peter Pan, the only words that come to mind are: “Dammit, that annoying little twit.”

A twisted retelling of Peter Pan for adults, this story shines a light on the classic fairy tale of Peter Pan never seen before. James Hook is an adult in the rotten, cursed world of Neverland, and he is doomed to be haunted by that horrible Peter Pan over and over again. He can’t die, but his men can, and he must live with the burden of watching them fight to the death in an endless cycle. Only he can survive, even when what he wants more than anything is to die. He’s a living, breathing pawn of Peter Pan’s game, and there is no way out. Until, Stella Parish decides to make a surprise (and forbidden) appearance. Unsure of how she got to the world of Neverland, Hook is sure she was sent there for a reason. And that reason may just be his escape.

I never realized it until after reading this book that Peter Pan is a spoiled, ungrateful little brat who is too bloodthirsty for his own good. I love kids, but Peter Pan is not a kid. He is a monster who exists only to torture Captain Hook. Think about it: in the story, Peter Pan cuts off Hook’s hand and then feeds it to a crocodile. It’s kind of sick, actually.

Despite all the times I was this close to chucking this book across the room whenever Pan ruined things, I understood on some level the importance of his character and Hook’s characters. While they seem like foils in the original story, in this retelling, you see that they are the same. Pan is Hook, and Hook is, on some level, Pan. They are afraid of the same things and have different types of crippling innocence and guilt. They are both scared of growing up and moving on, but in the end, at least one of them learns how to do just that.

Everything was so unexpected and even when it seemed wrong, it worked out to be so right. There was the dark underbelly of Peter Pan, and then there was the soft side of the scary Captain Hook. You could finally understand his defeat, his loss of life when he was stolen and taken into the cruel world of Neverland. It was impressive, the emotion I felt alongside the characters of the story.

I was astounded by the artful remastering of J.M. Barrie’s classic, the phenomenal attention to detail in its remaking, and the addictive story line that hardly allowed me a moment’s break. This is still a tale of growing up, but it is also a story of defying your destiny.

Crazy Review

2015-07-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Crazy by Linda Vigen Phillips

Title: Crazy

Author: Linda Vigen Phillips

Series: None

Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 20, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Historical Fiction; Poetry; Disorders; Young Adult

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

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Laura is a typical fifteen-year-old growing up in the 1960's, navigating her way through classes, friendships, and even a new romance. But she's carrying around a secret: her mother is suffering from a mental illness.

No one in Laura's family will talk about her mother's past hospitalizations or increasingly erratic behavior, and Laura is confused and frightened. She finds some solace in art, but when her mother, also an artist, suffers a breakdown, Laura fears that she will follow in her mother's footsteps. Left without a refuge, can she find the courage to face what scares her most?

Identity is an enigma for any normal fifteen-year-old. For Laura, she struggles with defining herself as she witnesses her mother being possessed by her mental illness. She fears her destiny has already been defined for her, and she sees it playing it out before her eyes as her mother is reduced to hysterics and erratic outbursts. Fear threatens to smother Laura, and she must find the courage to defy it.

Stories written as a series of poems are a strange thing. The poems themselves cannot stand alone, but when combined with others, it just works. Verse was a fitting choice for this book. Some things in life you cannot explain coherently in complete sentences; some things are just too messed up, and they don’t have a clear subject and verb and prepositional phrases. Verse gives the readers the opportunity to fully understand the turmoil going on inside of Laura’s head, the doubt, guilt, and fear she feels.

While Crazy is set in a time period when mental illness was all but taboo, the book is painfully honest on the hardships of suffering from a mental disorder and living with someone inflicted with this invisible illness. Laura is trapped in more way than one, not being able to talk about her fears or the way she feels towards her mom. The effort Phillips put into this book was visible in everything she wrote, and the readers could understand how important these topics were.

Crazy was an easy read with something important to say, and I’m glad I got the opportunity to hear it.

This Shattered World Review

2015-07-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Title: This Shattered World

Author: Amie Kaufman; Meagan Spooner

Series: Starbound #2

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: December 23, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Futuristic; Science Fiction; Romance

Pages: 390

Format: Hardcover

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Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

These covers SUCK!! The stories are great, but ohmygod the COVERS! Someone needs to take a class or something in the art of covering books. Honestly, it’s lucky I even picked these up.

The story of Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac is classic Romeo and Juliet kind of stuff. With a tad bit more arguing and reluctance, of course. Jubilee is stubborn and untrustworthy of everyone. Flynn is the leader of a rebellion, making him a number one enemy of Jubilee and her troops. After Flynn kidnaps Jubilee in the search for answers, their tumultuous story begins.

With the repetitive use of “star-crossed lovers” and “out-of-this-world romance,” you’d think this novel held nothing but angst and horny declaration of love, all set in outreaching planets of the universe. Thank all of the book gods that this isn’t actually what the Starbound series is about. If anything, I’ve could’ve done with a little bit more romance; it’s just my expectations were raised so high and they weren’t all really met, which made me a little sad.

Tarver and Lavender make a reappearance, and this makes me one superbly happy camper. Their story was better than Jubilee and Flynn’s, but what can do? Sometimes you’ve just got to accept that sequels usually fall short of their predecessors.

Spooner and Kaufman make one hell of a team. I didn’t think you could write a good novel with more than one person, but these two ladies make it possible. They’ve done an impressive job, both with These Broken Stars and This Shattered World. Besides the covers. The covers really do need some work.

Overall, a good job. I was happy with the outcome, and I’m looking forward to the last installment of the Starbound with a mixture of anticipation and sadness that it’s really ending. But, nothing gold can stay, am I right?

Their Fractured Light

December 1, 2015

Made For You Review

2015-06-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Made For You by Melissa Marr

Title: Made For You

Author: Melissa Marr

Series: None

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Contemporary; Mystery; Thriller; Romance; Paranormal

Pages: 356

Format: Hardcover

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When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling.

My reaction to this book: ….WHAT?! #*@! What the effing F?

Eva Tilling has a classic case of amnesia you often find in mystery murder thrillers. She was a victim of a hit and run and is now the key witness in catching this want-to-be killer. I don’t know about you, but that sure does sound like fun. While caught in a maelstrom of “Who dunnit?” Eva is reunited with him. Nate. Not just a boy, but the boy. I think you see where I’m going with this. So, because a girl’s work is never done, Eva not only has to catch a murderer, but she also has to navigate the treacherous waters of boys and love.

“Creepy” is the first word that pops to mind. Weird is another, but creepy really encompasses the strangeness this book is comprised of. Would you believe that before this book, I was a Marr-book virgin? Never, not once, have I ever read anything of Marr’s before. I have to say I’m a little hesitant to touch another. I’m not really one for creepiness.

The things I liked: the writing and the format. There is no denying that Marr is the queen of suspense and thrill. Her writing had me on the edge of my seat, and multiple times my eyes did that thing where they widen in surprise and awe even though it’s just a book and no one else is there, so you’re kind of just surprising yourself which is a little nerdy and odd. I don’t usually have those eye-widening moments, but in the case of this book, I had many. Which is good, I guess. Also, I’m a fan of the way Marr wrote in the point of view of the killer. Made it even more mysterious. Ooh. (*finger waggle that people do when they try to make a scary point*)

Like I said, I’m not one for creepiness, which lets me move on to what I didn’t like. The obsession and the psychopathness of it all was just a little too…much. I could see where all the people who raved about this book were coming from, I really could. The writing was amazing, but my own personal opinions of what I like to read just got in the way. In the standpoint of an indifferent third party judging purely on the technique and quality of the book, it was amazing. But in the point of view of me, the creepy-sensitive book reviewer, it was not so amazing. Multiple time it just went a little too far. And plus, I just couldn't get into the whole "oh, I have mysterious powers that I automatically understand and don't really care where they came from or why I have them" thing going on.

I love thrillers and murder mysteries. Just not like this. It’s my personal opinion that I would rather not read stories that make me want to go out and buy fifty more locks and dead bolts to put on my door.

Atlantia Review

2015-06-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Atlantia by Allie Condie

Title: Atlantia

Author: Ally Condie

Series: None

Publisher: Dutton Children’s

Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Fantasy; Futuristic; Dystopia; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

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Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

Ugh. I just—ugh. UGHHHGHHGHG.

(Me at the first sighting of Atlantia)

Me: Ooh pretty book. (Strokes cover a little creepily)

Book: Read me. I’m fantastic, I promise.

Me: I don’t know…

Book: I’m a futuristic romance with sirens and other cool stuff…come on, you know you want to.

Me: (with pitiful naiveté) Okay!

It was pathetic. And it’s never happening again. I am so done with sirens.

Rio wants to leave the Below more than anything. She’s dreamt of living in the sands of the Above all her life, but in the few seconds it takes for her sister to abandon her in the underwater city of Atlantia, Rio is stuck. Forever. Dun dun DUUUN. She seeks the help of a stranger to get her above ground, to find her sister who obviously has a perfectly reasonable reason for leaving Rio there to wither away alone. Obviously. Then there’s a little romance and blah blah blah until it finally ends.

I was so bored. I was bored writing the summary. I was bored reading the actual book. Every time I opened that stupid awful thing that is not a novel, I died a little in side. The book nerd in me started to cry.

If you haven’t already figured it out, I hated this book.

First of all, the names. THE NAMES. We get it, there’s lots of water. You don’t have to name your characters after it! We get the picture. I mean, Bay? Rio? Oceana? REALLY?? Can we have a little subtlety please? Apparently not.

The writing was even worse. Apparently young adult readers need to be talked to like they’re fourth graders, and they need to like it. If you haven’t noticed, the best young adult books speak to adults and teens with a level of intelligence both can understand and enjoy. Taking away all the talent and skill that comes with writing a novel does not make it better. It makes it awful. Period. Exclamation point.

I didn’t even like the idea of mermaids and sirens in the first place. I’ve never read a book that actually did it well, and apparently I never will. The only reason I read this book in the first place is because it sounded similar to a book called the Dark Life, which I actually truly enjoyed. It was nothing like that. The world-building was nonexistent and the explanations for character’s actions were stupid.

After reading this book, I wanted to throw it away and forget I ever wasted time on that plotless, interest-less, talent-less excuse for literature. Honestly, you’d think publishers would figure out that things need to be of high quality before they sell it.

The story line was swamped with mediocrity, the romance was confusing and unrealistic, the characters had to be purposefully bad because no one could do that accidentally, and the overall book gave me a raging headache. But hey, it’s kind of my fault right? I should’ve just stopped reading, but stubborn me wanted to finish that God-awful book. I don’t know why, but I did. Well, I’m never doing that again.

The Inventor's Secret Review

2015-06-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer

Title: The Inventor’s Secret

Author: Andrea Cremer

Series: The Inventor’s Secret #1

Publisher: Philomel Books

Publication Date: April 22, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Fantasy; Historical Fiction; Steampunk; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover
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In this world, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth, they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery. Perfect for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners, Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel, ScottWesterfeld's Leviathan and Phillip Reeve's Mortal Instruments.

Am I the only one that’s getting sick of the whole “steampunk” fad that’s going around right now?

It’s the nineteenth century—around the time the Revolutionary War should’ve happened but didn’t. Instead, the British have expanded into the dictatorial leaders us Americans always knew they would become, and things are worse than ever—especially the wealth and power of the rich. And of course, they’ve invented super robots with terrifying powers and scary tools to track down and punish the Patriots. Charlotte is the younger sister of the one of the leaders of the rebellion, and she’s predictably juvenile and short-sighted. Her immaturity grated on my nerves, and she just never seemed to take a hint. And no one likes someone who can’t take a hint.

It’s not that I’m against steampunk. It’s just that it’s been talked about ad nauseam. Like, come on, get a new idea. It’s no longer cool. It’s been used too many times, and it’s getting old. Find some other type of “punk” to overuse and drive into the ground.

Usually I have a blind spot for romance. If a bad story has a really well formed romance, I usually give it more credit than it deserves. I really shouldn’t, but I can’t help it. In this case, the lovey stuff was good, but it wasn’t enough. It was too quick and too predictable. First of all, we started off with the whole “if he bullies you, it’s just because he likes you” thing going on. Because, as we all know, if a boy likes you, he has to be mean to you. I feel like the author tried to do a fake out on the reader of where the romance was leading, but failed miserably and just ended up falling on her face in the attempt. It was obvious. Strike one. Secondly, it happened too fast without any build up. Not enough conflict. It was too easy, and it’s really not fun to read a romance that’s too easy. It makes the readers feel like they didn’t work for it. What’s the point of continuing to read if we already know that boy gets the girl and good defeats evil? I mean, come on. Give me a little of anxiety while reading. Emotion make the world go round after all.

So there were bad things. There were also good things too. There was humor. Point for Cremer. And the cover was pretty cool too. Not the best, but pretty cool, but only this cover. The other covers suck. And, if I’m being completely honest, the plot line was not a total fail. It was, however, one that I’ve read a million times and probably could recite in my sleep. Can we thing of another story line besides a tom boy turning into lady and getting the guy? And please, for the love of God, do not put it against a steampunk backdrop, whatever you do. I beg you.

Overall, it wasn’t so bad. Let’s just say it’s not my go-to book for recommendations. And I probably won’t read the sequel.

The Conjurer’s Riddle

November 3, 2015

Glory O'Brien's History of The Future Review

2015-06-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King

Title: Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future

Author: A.S. King

Series: None

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 14, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Realistic Fiction; Contemporary; Coming of Age; Young Adult

Pages: 308

Format: Hardcover

In this masterpiece about freedom, feminism, and destiny, Printz Honor author A.S. King tells the epic story of a girl coping with devastating loss at long last--a girl who has no idea that the future needs her, and that the present needs her even more.
Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities--but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she's never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person's infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions--and what she sees ahead of her is terrifying: A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women's rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she'll do anything to make sure this one doesn't come to pass.

I always say that A.S. King writes young adult novels for adults. Her writing is so edgy and rough and sharp, it’s unique and cannot be duplicated in any way. Her novels are not for the fainthearted. It’s no wonder that A.S. King always gets honors and awards; she is so different than anyone else and takes risks other people are afraid to take.

Glory O’Brien’s mother went the way Sylvia Plath did. In an oven with dish towels shoved under the door to make sure 4-year-old Glory didn’t become a secondhand suicide. Not that it helped much. Glory’s mother may have stopped breathing, but Glory did not. She lived, or continued to breathe at least. With an overweight, depressed dad and a dirty void in the kitchen where the oven used to be, Glory was left alone, doomed to wonder if she would turn out the same way, if suicidal tendencies were genetically transmitted. She wondered if her future was already planned for her, and if what little say she had in it had vanished the day her mother’s heart stopped pumping. Her love of photography at least, was passed down along with the X chromosomes. The day Glory’s friend finds a petrified bat, deemed Max Black by Glory, and they decide to do something weird, even stranger events follow. After learning the future is at stake, Glory feels a duty to change it even when her own future is still a mystery.

Every time I read an A.S King novel, I just have to take a minute and try and process everything I had just experienced/read. Her books are so rough and unforgiving. She talks about things people only wonder about, but never really have the guts to say. A.S. King may have hard writing, but her fearlessness is more than respectable.

Too many books these days skim over things they’re afraid to write about or reflect upon. A.S. King dives in and attacks them with the style of a great white shark. She sinks her teeth into reality and rips it into shreds until she uncovers the disturbing truth behind honest subjects. In the History of the Future, she talked about suicide, the impending doom of humanity, depression, and loss.

While exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness, A.S. King’s ideas of the future and the present held echoes of truth and validity. I understand the strangeness of her method of writing because she’s dealing with tough topics, and people listen more to the truly outrageous.

Anyone wanting to read the History of the Future, make sure you clear some time for this book, both for reading and processing, but also for reflection. This book will make you think and continue to think weeks after you finish. Two words: Good luck.

Confessions #1: Books I Haven't Read But Probably Should Have

2015-06-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is my first confession but it definitely won't be my last. I pride myself on being a book aficionado, but sometimes I slip. My first confession includes books I really should've read a long time ago but just never seemed to get to. Are you ready? It's pretty horrifying.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

It's one of the most popular John Green books, and I haven't read it! I am so ashamed. Every time I see it mentioned in a review or something, the only thing I hear in my head is you haven't read that, you haven't read that, you haven't read that in an annoying little gnome voice over and over and over again. It's been on my to-read list for years, and yet, I have never picked it up. My excuse it is that it's always checked out. Yeah, I'll go with that. My laziness/ procrastination is not a factor at all.

And it's a Printz winner. That just makes it so much worse.

Twilight (all of them)

This one I honestly don't feel so bad about this one. I just had to put it on here because at least most of the haters have at least read the series. I haven't touched one. Not a single one of them. I was on a Twilight hiatus ever since I figured about what they were about. I mean come on, who wants to read about a weak female character and the exact definition of an unhealthy relationship. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not so big on the vampire front.

Vampire Academy (all of them)

Again, with the vampires. I mean, it's a little better than the Twilight series but still. It's just...icky. I have such a prejudice against the paranormal. Only the fewest of exceptions exist in my supernatural boycott.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone (all of them)

I don't even know what this series is about. All I think when I see this cover is, "Oh, pretty feathers." Maybe I should give it a try? It doesn't have vampires does it?

A Series of Unfortunate Events (all of them)

I really do feel bad about this one. I feel like it should've been something I read a long time ago, but I didn't. I mean Lemony Snicket is legend. How can I claim to love books when I haven't even read THE Lemony Snicket?

That was a really rough shaming. Maybe I'll actually read some of these this summer. Definitely. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully. We'll see.

Wildlife Review

2015-06-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Wildlife by Fiona Wood Review

Title: Wildlife

Author: Fiona Wood

Series: None

Publisher: Poppy

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Contemporary; Realistic Fiction; Coming of Age; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 400

Format: Hardcover

During a semester in the wilderness, sixteen-year-old Sib expects the tough outdoor education program and the horrors of dorm life, but friendship drama and love that gets complicated? That will take some navigating.
New girl Lou has zero interest in fitting in, or joining in. Still reeling from a loss that occurred almost a year ago, she just wants to be left alone. But as she witnesses a betrayal unfolding around Sib and her best friend Holly, Lou can't help but be drawn back into the land of the living.

In this tender, funny story of first love, good friendship, and going a little bit wild, Fiona Wood introduces two unforgettable girls who discover that before you can be true to yourself, you have to figure out exactly who you are.

First of all, love the cover. Even though it has nothing to do with the story and is very misleading.

Set in an outdoor program, this book follows the lives of two girls: Sib and Lou. Sib experienced a brief stardom when her aunt put her face on a billboard for all to see, and the aftermath is still resonating throughout her life. She was never the popular one, but after her face was blown up and plastered on the huge advertisement, everyone wants to be her friend, even Holly, the most popular girl in school. It’s like all Sib needed for people to see her was her face enlarged and shoved in their faces. Mesmerized by her newfound popularity, Sib happily accepts all the attention and the friendship of Holly (because we all know the most popular people at school are the best at being friends). Lou is the new kid at school and is not looking for new friends. After suffering the death of her boyfriend, Lou never fully recovered even with all the not-so-subtle hints of everyone around her to move on, push past, and forget about it. Through the trials and tribulations of first love, betrayal, and camp activities, Sib and Lou find their way into each other’s live with the help of Sib’s hopeless admirer and mutual friend, Michael. Hiking, canoeing, and general teenage rambunctiousness are accompanied by vital life lessons about friendship and love in this endearing tale of growing up.

The cover really should have two girls on it because there really is not a romance in Wildlife. Okay, fine, there is romance, but it’s not the whole story. The real story is the unlikely friendship between two girls with completely different backgrounds. Does the cover reveal that? No, not so much.

If I were to compare this book with a Melina Marchetta or E. Lockhart book, I would consider this book 50 times lighter than anything Marchetta or Lockhart could come up with it. Don’t get me wrong, I like it that way. Marchetta and Lockhart are more serious and heavy. Wildlife was a light summer read with a couple dark undertones streaked throughout.

The writing was simple and pleasing. Nothing too hard core. It didn’t leave me with a feeling of absolute wonder, nor did it leave me with a feeling of bewilderment or disgust. I appreciated the sincerity and honesty of the stories Wood brought to the table. Betrayal of friends, bad friendships, disappointment, and first loves are things almost everyone lives through. I could relate with both Sib and Lou and their dynamics.

While good in an easy, vanilla sort of way, this book wasn’t really anything extraordinarily special. It was forgettable, yet enjoyable.

On Road To Cinema: 24 YA Books About to Become Movies

2015-06-09T20:01:00.001-07:00

On The Road To Cinema: 24 YA Books About To Become Movies

It could be argued that it all started with the Hunger Games, or maybe so far back as to the Harry Potter saga, but it is undeniable that adapting young adult books and turning them into blockbusters has become a sweeping fad. And, honestly, who's complaining? Some of the best cinematic masterpieces were inspired by books or plays. The Godfather, Gone With the Wind, A Streetcar Named Desire all started out as books and were made into classic movies anyone not living under a rock has heard of. At one point, it seemed as if we were drowning in adaption after adaption, and then there's suddenly a noticeable lull in the young adult book-turned-movie factory. So what is in store? What's about to rock the movie screens? After loads of research, I've discovered the answer: a lot. I'm talking copious books on a rather impressively extensive list. I've picked some of my favorites.

The Definites:
There are some movies that are definitely making it to the big leagues of the cinematic arts. Some have trailers, casts, and producers and are strongly expected to premiere behind the red velvet curtains. Here are some the definites that are expected to show within the next couple of years.

Mockingjay Part 2
November 20, 2015
We all know that multiple movie reigns will be coming to an end in the coming years. The Hunger Games is releasing its final installment of the well-loved trilogy. The Mockingjay is a movie that will definitely give the audience a healthy dose of violence and war, but also some closure on the Peeta front. It works out evenly in the end in my opinion. After this final installment, The Hunger Games dynasty will have officially ended; it was a good run, it really was, but it's time for the younger ones to have their chance are stardom, don't you think?

Allegiant Part 1
March 18, 2016
Some series are just in the midst of their fame. Divergent and Insurgent were made, watched, and reasonably loved (Theo James, hello?!). Now it's time for the final book to make a debut on the wide screen. Allegiant is undoubtedly highly anticipated (and, in a similar manner of the production of Hunger Games, it will be two parts- goody), but that's not really the question on everyone's mind now is it? I'm just going to say it: can they really carry through with the end?

The Scorch Trials
September 18, 2015
Dylan O'Brien was loved before the Maze Runner, but after? Forget about it. He became an instant teen pop idol, even more than he originally was. Those ignorant of O'Brien's movie star status were happily introduced to him through Dashner's action-packed dystopian thriller. And now, we can say hello to The Scorch Trials.

Me, Earl, and The Dying Girl
June 12, 2015
This one is so close. Me, Earl, and The Dying Girl, a novel about Greg and his friend Earl and their serendipitous meeting with a girl diagnosed with cancer, is set to release in the near, near future. Like only a few days away kind of near. Readers will finally be able to see this weird, somewhat hilarious story in the shape of cinematic magic.

The 5th Wave
January 15, 2016
The 5th Wave was an instant success and the primary cause of emotional breakdowns around the world (including me). Film makers took notice of this literary phenomenon and decided to take action. Good choice, film makers. Chloë Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe, and Maria Bello were casted as the stars of this post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure.

A Monster Calls
October 14, 2016
A Monster Calls was an award winning novel about a little boy, his mother, and a monster. Published in the format of a chillingly dark, yet inquisitively creative, picture book, A Monster Calls was a reflection on guilt and death, youth and maturity. Patrick Ness wove enthralling language and invaluable lessons into a book film makers would've had to been blind to not notice. Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver, and Felicity Jones have already signed on for this movie.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
March 4, 2016
Mysterious, dark, chilling, weird, and peculiar are all words you could use to describe the popular novel Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. After finding a pile of strange and inexplicable photos, Ransom Riggs was inspired to tell the story of a group of talented orphans cared for by a caring bird. Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, and Samuel L. Jackson are already part of the cast for this movie.

Papertowns
July 24, 2015
The Fault in Our Stars was a huge success. It, to this day, continues to remain one of my favorite movies (and books) of all time. It did not come as a surprise to me when film makers started to pick up the film rights to John Green's other literary masterpieces, and good for them. God knows they have more than a large enough fan base for a blockbuster movie. Papertowns, while not one of my favorite book by John Green, will be on the very top of my list of movies to see this summer. Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, and Halston Sage will be the stars of the latest John Green film.

The Not So Definites:
While some movies are absolutely going to make the big screens, there are others whose movie adaptions are mere rumors in the cinematic grapevine. The movie rights have been sold, but how are we to know that they'll actually make it? It's common knowledge that many attempts have failed just at the finish line in terms of the movie transformation. It is my sincerest hope that all of the following books make it to my local movie theater.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before
Info:
Optioned by Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment
Annie Neal will write the script

The Night Circus
Info:
Rights were bought by Summit Entertainment and David Heyman

Moira Buffini will write the script

Eleanor and Park
Info:
DreamWorks Studios picked up the film rights
Carla Hacken will be a producer along with Matt Kennedy
Shooting for the film is set to start in 2015

Legend
Info:
Film rights were sold to CBS films
Wyckiff Godfrey and Marty Bowani will produce
Andrew Barter and Gabe Ferrato will be writing the script with Marie Lu

We Were Liars
Info:
Optioned by Imperative Entertainment
Screenplay will be written by E. Lockhart

Just One Day
Info:
Just One Day and Just One Year will be combined into one movie
Universal pictures is in charge of production
Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage will produce along with Gayle Forman and Lis Rowinski

The Diviners
Info:
Film rights were sold to Paramount Pictures
Bray has been named to write the script
Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage will be producing

Looking for Alaska
Info:
The team for this movie will greatly resemble the ones behind Papertowns and The Fault in Our Stars.
Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen will produce
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will be the screenwriters
Options secured by Paramount, even before The Fault in Our Stars

Graceling
Info:
Reliance Entertainment will partner with Kintop Pictures in filming
Deepak Nayar and Tabrez Noorani will produce
Piers Ashworth will be the screenwriter

Jellicoe Road
Info:
Directed by Kate Woods
Produced by Sue Taylor and Goalpost Pictures

Saving Francesca
Info:
Melina Marchetta is writing the script
Jo Werner will produce

Queen of Tearling
Info:
Emma Watson will be executive producer and star
Warner Bros. purchased film rights

Raven Boys
Info:
New Line Cinema bought the film rights
Akiva Goldsman is producing
Area Johnston and Dave Neustadter are overseeing

The Scorpio Races
Info:
Jack Thorne will be writing the screenplay
David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith are producing
Focus acquired film rights

Tiger's Curse
Info:
Shekhar Kapur will direct
Raphael Kryszek, Mary Parent, and Ineffable Pictures will produce
Julie Plec will be writing for the film
Paramount Pictures has screen rights

Uglies
Info:
20th Century Fox and John Davis have film rights